Alienware m15 R4 and Alienware m17 R4 laptops have been refreshed by Dell to include Cherry MX ultra low profile mechanical keyboards, with per-key lighting. According to Dell, the new keyboards aim to be an extension of the gamer’s senses, and allow you to press deeper with more emphasis. This mechanical switch delivers a full 1.8mm of key travel in a self-cleaning mechanism. Its two-piece keycap structure and cross-point contact system ensure precision and wobble-free keystrokes during intense virtual gaming sessions.
Many gamers prefer mechanical keyboards because they are more responsive, and are usually more durable. For some of us, a mechanical keyboard just feels better to use, plus the sound of a mechanical keyboard can be good feedback as well. Apart from the change in keyboards, the laptops still run on 10th Gen Intel Core processors and offer up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU support.
Vivian Lien, Vice President of Alienware and Dell Gaming, said: “PC gaming experience is guided by our fingertips. It is why gaming keyboards are crucial – they’re the gateway to connecting a gamer to their PC. But let’s face it: not all gaming keyboards are created equal.
“Delivering the next level of immersive gaming to mobile gamers, we’re thrilled to bring you the CHERRY MX mechanical keyboard on the new Alienware m15 R4 and Alienware m17 R4. These are the world’s first gaming laptops designed in collaboration with the leading German switch maker CHERRY MX.
“Our partnership with CHERRY MX (aka Project X) began over three years ago. We had the shared goal to create a ‘binary mechanical switch experience’ and shrink it down into a laptop form factor—something that’s never been done before. Not an easy task, but one that has brought the benefits of a mechanical keyboard to mobile PC gaming, delivering the edge needed to dominate virtual battle arenas.”
Alienware m15 R4 & Alienware m17 R4 specifications
The Alienware m15 R4 and Alienware m17 R4 were refreshed in January at CES 2021 to include the new Nvidia GeForce 30-series GPUs. The two laptops have now been made available in a Cherry MX ultra low-profile mechanical keyboard configuration. All the other specifications remain the same. The laptops are powered by the 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10870H or Core i9-10980HK CPU with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. They will include the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs
The Alienware m15 R4 features a 15.6-inch display, whereas the Alienware m17 R4 has a 17.3-inch display. Both are equipped with up to 360Hz full-HD screens (up to 300Hz on m15 model) or UHD displays with standard 60Hz refresh rate. Audio is handled by 2-way stereo speaker design that includes discrete Smart Amp Woofer technology. They come with multi-touch gesture precision-point glass touchpads with integrated scrolling.
Connectivity options on the Alienware m15 R4 and Alienware m17 R4 include Thunderbolt 3, USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare technology, two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, Alienware Graphics Amplifier port, Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, an HDMI 2.1 port, RJ-45 Killer Ethernet, and a microSD slot. They also come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1. Both models have 86Wh batteries.
The new Alienware m15 R4 and Alienware m17 R4 are available in Ireland from www.dell.ie.